[rcentros]

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

For a given definition of "comprehensive", as your example nicely demonstrated (As an aside, your example made me wish I had access to DARE). How comprehensive is a dictionary that includes archaic slang from one part of the English-speaking world but contains little from elsewhere and perforce nothing at all from later times? A simple example, suggested phonetically by your own: The word "kai" is standard in NZE, a loanword from Māori, and means "food". The OED lists its first recorded published use in English as predating the Websters by 85 years, yet searching for the word in Webster's 1913 gives me a 404.

Which, of course, makes sense since New Zealand was a British colony. You're going to find a lot of missing words in an American-based dictionary for English slang in British colonies. As an American, I'm more interested in American definitions.

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

To bring this back to the topic at hand, this is why I don't have a problem with the Kobo's inbuilt dictionary - it's good enough most of the time, and when it's not, Kobo offers the option itself to search Google, which fills in most of the gaps

I like as much detail as I can get directly from the Reader. There are a lot of words that don't need gaps filled – but a good example makes the meaning clearer. I don't think the dictionaries should be the determining reason why you buy one reader over another, but it can important consideration.

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

P.S. - I wonder if the shoplifting sense of "kipe" derives ultimately from the "fishing basket" sense? Not that much of a stretch, I'd say

I'm thinking more the "snatch" sense. Since shoplifters "snatch" items off the shelves.

kipe
verb.

Also, kype.

1. To steal, pilfer, or swipe something of small value, e.g. a candy bar or some other commonly shop-lifted item.

In fading use. primarily regional to the American Paific Northwest. From the Old English "kip", menaing "to snatch" or "to take hold of". Probably originally from the Old Norse "kippa", meaning to "to snatch", "to tug on", or "to pull on".

Jesse kiped some Pabst from the store while we distracted the clerk.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kipe